Drinking and wetting doll with sound effects



Sept. 29, 1953 w, BELTZ 2,653,411

DRINKING AND WETTING DOLL WITH SOUND EFFECTS Filed Feb. 24, 1949 2Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. (:EORGE w. BELTZ Atiorneas Sept. 29, 1953 w B L-z 2,653,411

DRINKING AND WETTING DOLL WITH SQUND EFFECTS Filed Feb. 24, 1949 2Sheets-Sheet 2 A INVENTOR. GEORGE w. BELTZ AH'or-neys Patented Sept. 29,1953 i DRINKING AND WETTING DOLL WITH SOUND EFFECTS George W. Beltz,Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, assignor to The Sun Rubber Company, Barberton,Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application February 24, 1949, Serial No.78,109

7 Claims. (Cl. 46-117) The present invention relates to a new andimproved construction of doll which will achieve certain novel resultsin a new and improved manner.

Drinking and wetting dolls have been known heretofore and dolls whichgive out a noise simulating a babys cry are quite common, but, so far asis known, there has not as yet been produced dolls which perform all theacts of drinking, wetting, and crying. This has been because of thedificulties which have been encountered in combining thedrinking-wetting effects with the crying effect.

The most common type of sound-making device which gives out a cryingnoise when the doll is squeezed is an ordinary reed of the correctpitch. This reed usually makes the noise upon the forced passage of airout of the dolls body on squeezing. Drinking and wetting dolls have atube leading from an opening in the mouth to a point in the lower partof the body where the water collects and passes out through a smallaperture in the body.

The drinking tube will, unless provisions are made to prevent it, afforda passage for the air so that when the doll is squeezed the air willdepart through the tube and bypass the reed so that no sound is created.Many types of reeds are also injured by water and it is desirabletherefore to avoid contact of the reed and the water, and the preferredforms of the invention have been designed to keep water out of the reed.Further, if water collects or is held on the reed, the doll is incapableof making the crying noise.

It is also desirable to have it appear as though the crying sound issuedfrom the dolls mouth. In the preferred forms of the invention shownherein, the drink tube is employed as the passage through which the airpasses out of the doll, carrying the sound of the noise-maker with it sothat the cry actually issues from the mouth of the doll. Not only is thecry of an infant reproduced but the sound is not muffled.

In the several forms of the invention shown herein, the objects asstated have been realized in various ways and in various degrees ofperfection, it being the intention to illustrate several embodiments inwhich the invention may be carried out. Some of the forms are preferredover others, but it is the purpose not to confine the invention to anyspecific form shown herein as other methods of achieving the objects ofthe invention may be embodied in modifications and improvements. It is,therefore, to be understood that it is contemplated that changes andaltera- 2 tions, and even improvements upon the invention, which do notdepart from the scope thereof are comprehended in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a doll in which parts are broken away toshow the internal construction. This form shows the preferred and bestknown embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a section through the attachment to the drink tube whichcarries the sound-making device, this view being taken on the line 2-2of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section through the attachment on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a second modification, this form however being less desirablebecause of the fact that the reed is located in the drink tube and istherefore subject to the objection that the water passes through thereed or other noise-maker.

In the several views of the head of the doll is indicated at I and thetorso at 2. The head which may be soft and compressible or make of anon-compressible material, is usually mounted so that it will swivel onthe torso by the engagement of the underside of the head with a flange 3on the neck. The torso 2 is hollow and compressible, being made ofrubber or some of the well known plastic resins which may be substitutedfor rubber. At some point in the torso, usually near the buttocks, inall forms of the invention, a small hole is drilled as at 5 throughwhich water will pass so that the doll will simulate the act of wetting.This aperture is small enough to that it does not permit sufficient airto pass through it to interfere with the noise making functions.

The mouth of the doll is made with an orifice 8 which is of a size toreceive the nipple of a toy nursing bottle which the child uses to givethe doll the water which it later expels through the orifice 5. In allforms of the invention a tube, preferably a flexible rubber tubeindicated by the numeral [0, is set in the orifice 8 and extends intothe torso, the tube being usually of sufficient length to reach to apoint in the torso below the neck so that the water will find its wayout of the hole 5. In Figs. 4 and 5, the tube is broken away to indicatethat it may be of any length.

In the preferred form of the invention shown in Figs. 1-3, the lower endof tube I!) is inserted into an aperture H in a fitting in the form of ablock 12 of rubber or the like. Alongside the tube is a second aperture4 in which is cemented a rubber sleeve 15 which holds an ordinary reed.

H5, or other type of sound making device. The sound making device is setso that it functions to create the desired noise when the air flows intothe upper end of the aperture 14, as shown by the arrow in Fig. 3.

Surrounding the block I2 is a soft rubber sleeve l8. This is a flattenedtube, the upper end of which is expanded to fit snugly over the blockand the lower end of which extends for a sufficient distance so that theflat sides of thhe sleeve are in contact for a substantial distance.This sleeve, therefore, acts as a one-way valve permitting the passageof water into the interior of the torso but closing when pressure isapplied to the doll, either to the head or to the body.

It will be seen that water given through the mouth will pass down thetube l and out through the valve provided by the sleeve l8 and will notcome in contact with the reed. When the doll is squeezed the valve l8closes and the air passes through the reed and out through the tube 10,which creates the effect that the crying noise is coming out of themouth. Air to reinflate the doll will pass inwardly through the tube l0and into the torso through the reed or through the valve l8. The presentconstruction does not muffie or deaden the sound for the air whichpasses through the sound maker is discharged through the mouth and thisprovides an unobstructed outlet for the sound.

The form of the invention which has just been described is the one whichhas been adopted by the assignee of this application for commercialproduction as it perfectly simulates the drinking, wetting and cryingacts, does not muiiie the crying sound, and the water is kept away fromthe reed or other noise making device.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 4, the tube lilo. leadingfrom the mouth orifice extends a short distance into the head, where itis inserted into one branch of a fitting in the form of a T-couplingelement 20. One of the lateral branches of this fitting extends into thehead and houses a reed or other sound making device 22 which receivesair from the interior of the head when the doll is squeezed. The thirdbranch of the coupling 29 extends into the neck where it is joined to atube 24 which delivers water to the interior of the torso through aoneway valve 25. This valve is shown in the same form as the valve 13 inthe preferred form.

This form of the invention is satisfactory as an alternative for thepreferred form. It, however, has the objection that if the child giveswater to the doll while in reclining position, the water is apt to nowout into the head through the reed.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 5, the drinking and wettingtube 40 is located in the mouth and extends into the torso to deliverwater to the interior thereof. In this form the reed 4! is located inthe tube and for this reason no valve is required to direct the airexpelled from the body through the reed, but the construction is not sodesirable as the water comes in contact with the noise maker. While thereed is shown in the position to create sound on the out-flow of airfrom the body, as in the other forms, its position may be reversed tocreate sound on the in-flow of air as the body is reassuming its normalshape. It is possible to insert two reeds, facing in oppositedirections, and such an arrangement would create two distinct sounds ona single collapse and return of the doll. By

4 varying the pitch of the reeds, novel sound effects could be obtained.This same double reed may be incorporated in any of the other forms ofthe invention.

All of the forms of the invention have in common the combination of thedrinking and wetting feature and the crying feature which is not muffledby the doll. All emit the sound through the mouth. In all forms of theinvention the noise-making device receives air from the interior of thetorso when the torso is 001- lapsed and delivers the air to the mouththrough the same tube by which water enters the torso from .the mouthopening. It is therefore proper to say that the air-actuated sound makeris in uninterrupted communication with the water conducting tube andwith the interior of the torso or that the air-actuated sound maker isin open communication with the interior of the torso and the waterconducting tube. In all of the forms, except Fig. 5, thedrinking-wetting tube is provided with a one-way valve which insuresthat the air which creates the noise will pass through the noise-makerand will not bypass it.

In all forms of the invention the reed noisemaker is not essential forany other type of air actuated sound maker may be substituted therefor.Also, other forms of one-way valves maybe substituted for the form shownin the several views. Other changes and modifications will be suggestedto those familiar with this art.

The doll shown and described herein is very attractive to children forit performs acts which simulate the natural functions of an infant morecompletely than any doll heretofore devised.

What is claimed is:

1. In a drinking-wetting doll construction the v combination of a hollowcompressible torso and a head on the torso, an orifice at the mouth, awater conducting tube leading from the mouth and discharging into thetorso, an outlet for water in the lower region of the torso, and anair-actuated sound maker within the doll and operable by air expelledfrom the torso, said sound maker being connected to the Water conductingtube and in uninterrupted communication with the water conducting tubeand with the interior of the torso.

2. In a drinking-wetting doll construction the combination of a hollowcompressible torso and a head on the torso, an orifice at the mouth, awater conducting tube leading from the mouth and discharging into thetorso, a one-way valve on the tube adapted to open inwardly to permitthe flow of water inwardly into the torso but preventing flow of airoutwardly from the torso, an air-actuated noise maker operable by airexpelled from the torso, a passage in which said noise maker is located,said passage being in uninterrupted communication with the interior ofthe torso and the interior of the tube at a point between the valve andthe mouth, and an outlet for water in the body of the torso.

3. In a drinking-wetting doll construction, the combination of a hollowcompressible body and a head on the body, a water conducting tubeleading from the mouth and discharging into the interior of the body, anoutlet in the body for water, a fitting on the tube having two passages,one of said passages being in free communication at one end with theinterior of the body and at the other end with the water conductingtube, an air-actuated noise maker in said passage, the other passagebeing adapted to conduct water which enters the mouth to the interior ofthe body, and a one-way valve on the fitting at the inner end of thesecond passage adapted to open inwardly of the body to permit flow ofwater into the body but to prevent passage of air outwardly from thebody directly to the second named passage.

4. A combined drinking-wetting and crying doll comprising a compressiblebody and head having an orifice, a water conducting tube leading fromthe orifice to the interior of the body, a water discharge outlet in thebody, an airactuated sound maker connected to the tube and in opencommunication with the tube and the body so as to create sound waves oncompression of the body which are carried by the tube to the orifice,and means in the tube at a point interiorly of the sound maker to permitflow of water from the tube to the interior of the body but to preventair expelled from the body from bypassing the sound maker when the bodyis compressed.

5. A combined drinking-wetting and crying doll comprising a oomprwsiblebody and head having an orifice, a water conducting tube leading fromthe orifice to the interior of the body, a water discharge outlet in thebody, a one-way valve at the discharge end of the tube adapted to openinwardly to permit flow of water to the interior of the body to preventdirect egress of air from the body through the tube, and an airactuatednoise maker connected to the tube and having open communication with theinterior the body and with the tube at a point between the valve and theorifice.

6. A combined drinking-wetting and crying doll which is compressible,said doll comprising a body and a head having a mouth orifice, a waterconducting tube leading from the mouth orifice and discharging into theinterior of the body, a fitting at the end of the tube, said fittinghaving a passage receiving the end of the tube, and a second passage, asound maker in the second passage, said passages being in communioation,and a valve on the fitting to permit fluid to flow from the tube to theinterior of the body, said valve being constructed to close when thedoll is compressed whereby the air in the interior of the doll iscompelled to flow outwardly through the sound maker and through thetube.

7. A combined drinking-wetting and crying doll which is compressible,said doll comprising a body and a head having a mouth orifice, a waterconducting tube leading from the mouth orifice and discharging into theinterior of the body, a fitting at the end of the tube, said fittinghaving a passage receiving the end of the tube, and a second passage, asound maker in the second passage, said passages being in communication, and a flattened flexible tube surrounding the fitting toconstitute a one-way valve which permits the passage of fluid inwardlybut prevents outward passage of air.

GEORGE W. BELTZ.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 2,022,107 Denivelle et a1. Nov. 26, 1935 2,080,439 SchaefferMay 18, 1937 2,098,925 Schaefier Nov. 9, 1937 2,229,439 Brock Jan. 21,1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 17,027 Great Britain of 1895432,650 France Oct. 9, 1911 448,936 Germany Sept. 2, 1927

